Last fall, the worst case scenario of the war on invasive aquatic plants took place on Lake Wesserunsett in East Madison. Before the courtesy boat inspector arrived for the day, four out-of-state bass boaters launched their uninspected boats. Plants were found hanging off all four of the boat’s trailers. One of the plants was fanwort, an invasive so far not found in Maine. More…

The 27^th annual Maine International Film Festival will present over 100 films (features + shorts) from July 12 to July 21, in downtown Waterville. The festival will premiere a wide range of independent films from Maine and beyond and will present Achievement Awards to two acclaimed directors. More…

BANG, BANG, BANG! Once again, it’s time for fireworks, flags a-flyin’, and parades in every town. Antique cars can be admired as they strut their chromed-up bumpers and spinner hub caps, and Girl Scouts line up for the walk. Firetrucks blast their sirens to the limit and the little kids hope for some candy being tossed from the vehicles. More…

Over the last month, the loons on the Belgrades have nearly finished their courting period, and we are even witnessing some of our first chicks hatch! Each loon has its own personality and social life More…

With the Summer of 2024 in full swing, our pond water levels are slightly above where we would like them to be. As I pen this week’s column, we had another downpour this afternoon — so what else is new? More…

How fun it is to read an historical fiction murder mystery about the frozen Kennebec River during our hot summertime in the Belgrades! Such is The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, which is based upong the diaries of 18^th-Century Hallowell midwife Martha Ballard. More…

The wet weather in June was good for mushrooms and berries. I have found quite a few yellow chanterelle mushrooms, wild strawberries, and some red raspberries. I have also been harvesting cattail spikes, which taste like little corn cobs when boiled for a few minutes and served with butter and salt. More…